Mancherial: Ahead of polls, Congress divided into 2 groups

Leaders of the party seem to have learnt a lesson from its poor show in the 2014 and 2018 elections.

Mancherial: Leaders of the Congress have been divided into two major groups ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections, with the rising factionalism threatening to affect the party’s fortunes.

Leaders of the party seem to have not learned a lesson from its poor show in the 2014 and 2018 elections. However, despite disappointing performance in the elections, the leaders appear to be not interested in working together and instead, are showing interest to operate groups rather reviving the party. While one group is backed by TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, the other group enjoys the support of Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka.

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Former minister Gaddam Vinod and leaders such as Gomase Srinivas, KV Prathap, Ade Gajender, Dr Neelakanteshwar Rao and Vodnala Srinivas of Mancherial district and K Vishwaprasad from Kumram Bheem Asifabad have formed a group and intensified their efforts to strengthen the party by conducting meetings and various programmes with party workers and are participating in walkathons of top leadership of the party at regular intervals.

The leaders of this group are claiming that their opinions would be considered by the high command of the Congress while choosing candidates to be fielded from Mancherial, Bellampalli, Chennur and Asifabad and Sirpur (T), Khanapur and Boath constituencies. They cite their proximity to the TPCC chief. Incidentally, Gaddam Vinod, Gomase Srinivas, KV Prathap, Neelakanteshwar Rao are aspiring to contest from Bellampalli, Chennur and Mancherial constituencies.

Meanwhile, a group led by former MLC Kokkirala Premsagar Rao is leaving no stone unturned to conduct meetings, protests and programmes. However, Rao is drawing flak for projecting certain aspirants as candidates of the Congress from Chennur, Bellampalli, Asifabad, Boath Assembly constituencies. He is criticized by a section of the leaders of the Congress for declaring nominees for these segments without the consent of the high command of the party. He is alleged to have collected huge amounts from the aspirants and is vouching for their candidature.

These two groups are openly vying with each other to have a grip over the party in the district, resulting in confusion among activists and public. The internal bickering, however, is likely leave an adverse impact on the performance of the party in the coming polls. Activists opine that the leaders should collectively strive for bringing glory of the back in Mancherial district, once its strong bastion